Vegetable box



R. E. ACKER VEGETABLE BOX Filed April 14, 1950 fnveniif. 62505 Zfflcfier5 W M Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEGETABLE BOXApplication April 14, 1950, Serial No. 155,812

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and more particularly to a form ofcontainer adapted to be made of folding sheet material such ascorrugated fibre board or solid fibre board.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensivecontainer that can be produced from a single blank of paperboard whichcan be shipped fiat to the user and by such user quickly and easily beassembled without requiring expensive tools and equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ventilated containerwell adapted for use in handling and shipment of perishable produce,such as prepackaged green vegetables of a light bulky nature thatrequire ventilation during shipment and storage.

A further object is to provide a container with partially open end wallsformed by relatively narrow overlapping flaps that can be securedtogether readily by a simple tool, such as a hand stapler, and, when thecontainer is closed, the openings in the end walls, if desired, canserve as hand holds to facilitate handling of the loaded container. I

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following specification and in the claimsappended thereto.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container made in accordance with thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container blank; and

Fig. 3 is a section view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In general, the invention. as herein disclosed, comprises a single blankof corrugated flbreboard, suitably cut and creased to provide front,bottom rear and top walls, having relatively narrow end flaps which areoverlapped to close a part of the end areas of the container, leaving anopening centrally of the ends to provide ventilation and to serve undercertain conditions as hand holds. The end flaps on the top wall of thecontainer are designed to fit on the outside of the end flaps on thefront wall so that the top wall of the container can be supported by thefront wall flaps. thereby properly positioning the free edge of the topwall with respect to the upper edge of the front wall.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the container blank, shownin Fig. 2, is cut and creased to provide a front wall 5, a bottom wall6, a rear wall l and a top wall 8. These walls are defined from eachother by crease lines 8,10 and II along which the walls may be swungrelative to each other to facilitate setting up the container. The walls5, 6, l and 8 are preferably provided at each end with flaps i2, i3, it,it, respectively, which are adapted to be overlapped as illustrated inFig. l. Crease lines are impressed lengthwise of the blank as indicatedat ii, ii to facilitate folding of the end closure flaps.

A tuck flap I8 is provided on the free edge of the top wall 8 which isdefined from such wall by crease line it.

The flaps i2, I3, I 5 and I5 are preferably cut of equal width in theinterest of economical use of material and at the same time providing anend wall structure capable of withstanding considerable rough handlingas well as stacking stresses. The flaps should have sufilcient width soas to assure that the dimensions of the opening in the end walls will beno greater than a predetermined maximum. While the various dimensionsmay be changed, depending on the volume desired for the container, it isconsidered suitable to construct the container so that its height isapproximately 6 inches and the distance from front wall to rear wallapproximately 14 inches. The end wall flaps would preferably beapproximately 2 inches in width. With this flap width the verticaldimension of the opening in the end walls is approximately 1 inch andthe horizontal dimension of the opening is approximately 9 inches.

When it is desired to prepare the container for receiving its contentsthe front and rear walls are swung upward at right angles to the bottomwall and the flaps l2, l3 and M are folded inwardly with flap i3preferably bearing against the outer surfaces of flaps l2 and it. Theflaps may then be stapled as indicated. After loading the container theflaps I 5 on the top are folded to assume a position at right angles tothe top wall which is then swung down to its closing position as shownin Fig. 1. The iiap l5 preferably lies within the flap l4 and outsidethe fiap l2 as shown. This causes the upper edge of the flap l2, asshown in Fig. l, to contact the under surface of the top wall andsupport such wall. Before the top wall is moved to its final positionthe flap i8 is inserted within the container to lie against the innersurface of front wall 5.

The desired positioning of the forward portion of the flaps IS on theoutside of flaps It may be assured by the rectangular shape of the frontportion of the flaps l5, which, with flaps of proper width, will causethe front lower corner of flaps l 5, as viewed in Fig. 1, to strike theupper edge of the wall if either flap I5 is swung down inside theadjacent flap l2. The packer therefore, upon noting that the front edgeof the flap l5 has come to rest upon the upper edge of the wall 5, willraise the top wall and swing nap l5 outward until it is in a position tobe brought down outside the flap I2 and will again lower the top wallwhich can then move to its intended position as illustrated.

After loading the container and assembling the topwall, with flaps l5and tuck flap l8 as above described, the flaps I5 may be secured to theadjacent flaps I2 and M as by means of staples or the top wall may beheld in closed position by suitable strips of gummed'tape, When it isdesired to staple the top wall in closed position the top wall isprovided with elongated narrow openings 2|, 2| formed along crease linei9. These openings are designed to admit the anvil portion of a staplingmachine, the staples indicated at 22, 22, being driven in through thefront wall 5 and flap l8 and clinched on the interior of the containerwhich is then ready for shipment.

When it is desired to unload the container the flap l8 can readily bepulled away from the front wall to enable the cover to be raised.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the present invention provides asimple and economical form of container having partial open ends toprovide ventilating openings and convenient end edge portions tofacilitate grasping the container. The construction is particularlysuitable for shipment of bulky produce such as packaged spinach andsimilar green vegetables.

While the present description sets forth a prefferred embodiment of theinvention, certain changes may be made in the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desiredthat the present embodiment be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

1 claim:

1. A ventilated end container for light, bulh materials such as greenvegetables and the like, comprising four interconnected hinged wallsformed from a single blank and comprising interconnected panels formingrespectively the front, bottom, rear and top walls of the container, thetop wall being hinged at one end to the rear wall and serving as acover, said top wall having hinged rectangular end flaps integral withsaid walls at each end thereof and coextensive therewith, includingpairs of flaps extending toward each other from the front and rear wallsrespectively, and pairs of upper and lower end flaps extending towardone another from the top and bottom walls respectively, the front andrear wall flaps of each pair and the upper and lower wall flaps of eachpair terminating short of each other to provide ventilatim end openings,the lower end flaps being turned up against the outer surfaces of boththe front and rear wall flaps and secured thereto, while the upper flapshave their rear ends inserted within the upper ends of the rear flapsand their front ends resting against the outer surfaces of the upperends of the front wall flaps when the container is in operativeposition, the front ends of the upper flaps being positioned to strikethe upper edge of the front wall when the top wall carrying said upperflaps is swung downwardly with the front ends of saidupper flaps on theinner sides of the front wall flaps, thus making it impossible to closethe container unless the front ends of the upper flaps.

are outside the front wall flaps.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein the securing flap isfastened to the inside of the front wall, the top wall being providedwith spaced openings adjacent the front hinge line to, permit theinsertion of a stapling tool for fastening the securing flap to thefront wall.

RALPH E. ACKER;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

. UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number

